Regular readers will know that I love decadent versions of healthful, fermented drinks. I made quite a few delightfully decadent drinks for my water kefir class last week, which was a blessing and a curse. I had to cancel the class at the last minute, which left me with 10 water kefir kits, partially assembled, a gallon of water kefir grains, and 3 gallons of water kefir of various flavors. There were plenty of well-tested recipes, but also a few things I threw in, just for fun. This is the “just for fun” recipe that turned out way better than expected. It is now on the repeat request list (I’m 10 batches in two weeks after I first made it) and I have a feeling I”ll be making a batch at least weekly until death does part my husband and I.

It’s easy to make, too. I was initially concerned that the addition of alcohol (in the form of vanilla extract) might make the oh-so-desirable water kefir fizz fizzle out. As it turns out, not at all. This little bit of vanilla didn’t seem to change a whole lot other than making the flavor rich and creamy, like a cup of hot cocoa with marshmallows.

Speaking of creamy, ever wonder where the “cream” in “cream soda” comes from? It’s vanilla! From my past working with some serious vanilla folks, I know firsthand that there are many, many variations in vanilla flavor, some creamier than others. If you’re making your own vanilla extract, I recommend a blend of beans from Madagascar and Uganda for uniquely wonderful flavors. My preferred version of this is made with vanilla extract I made with rum, but any vanilla extract, including store-bought, will do just fine.

Happy Holidays! I hope you are enjoying the dawn of that wintry mix of parties, family and too much good food. Writing a fermentation cookbook has been very exciting. It has also been very, very time-consuming, so this is definitely a year when I would not mind having access to a jolly old elf/personal shopper to provide perfect gifts for all of my friends and loved ones. The good news, though, is that giving quality, last-minute gifts can be pretty easy when you’re a fermenter, especially if you make cultured ferments.

Here are a few last minute gifts that an active fermenter could give to a new kid on the block. I guarantee they’ll be very grateful and for you it will be cost-effective and simple.

Sugar, Tea and SCOBY are all you need for a great gift!

KOMBUCHA GIFT KIT

If you currently make kombucha, there’s a good chance you’re overwhelmed by the number of SCOBYs that brewing booch produces. Here’s your chance to surprise a DIY type with a great gift while getting rid of something you really don’t want.

What you need:

1 SCOBY – Take a spare SCOBY and put it in a small ziploc bag with a little bit of finished kombucha. Seal the bag tightly.

9 tea bags or 2 tablespoons loose tea – Include a box of your favorite kombucha tea. I like a blend of oolong and sencha. Loose or bagged tea is fine, just make sure that you include enough for at least one batch of kombucha. If you have them, linen or cotton tea bags make a nice addition. Small jars or baggies also work wonderfully.

1 cup of sugar – I have best results with plain cane sugar, although I do use an organic, fair trade brand.

2 cups of finished kombucha – Give the gift of starter tea. You can put this in nice pint jar or in a decorative bottle. Anything that fits inside your larger jar will do. Recycle condiment jars often make great options. More on Last Minute DIY Gifts